Blue Fountain Media Survey Finds 52% of Consumers Find Web Content Too Long, Boring and Commercial

A survey conducted by Blue Fountain Media, a Pactera Company, a leading digital marketing agency based in New York City, reveals that consumers have changed the way they take-in and react to online content. Consumers are overwhelmingly looking to visual content to engage them with a product or service – according to the Blue Fountain survey which polled over 1,000 consumers about their content marketing preferences.

In the survey released today, Blue Fountain Media discovered that promotional videos and captioned pictures were the most popular ways to consume content, followed by podcasts.  Reading blogs and other text-based content were becoming less popular.

“Content may still be king, but the ways consumers prefer to receive that content is ever-changing” said Elizabeth Minton, Head of Corporate Marketing at Blue Fountain Media. “75% of our survey respondents told us video and pictures are what move them to action as opposed to blogs and emails. Though, increasingly, in an era of fake news, they are also concerned about the authenticity of the content they are exposed to.”

More than 60% of those surveyed said they are “very concerned” about whether or not the information/content they read on the internet is true. 37% think they can tell the difference between real and fake news – and, refreshingly, less than 2% prescribe to the adage: if it’s on the internet it must be true.

Here are some of the survey’s chief findings:

How Consumers Like Their Content:

• YouTube ranked highest in terms of providing useful content on products and services (33%) with Facebook a close second (30%) and Instagram 27.7%.
• Nearly 40% said YouTube is by far the best platform in terms of providing the most useful content on digital info, trends and other information.
• Facebook wins most content shared with 44% of those surveyed using the platform to share information with others.
• When asked what type of content people like to view, 45% prefer video, with captioned picture coming in second at 36%.

What Consumers Don’t Like About Content Marketing:

• 52% of those polled say the biggest problem with content today is that it is too commercial and another 48% say too long, too boring and too basic.
• Content that doesn’t engage leaves 10% of respondents wanting to rip their hair out! 32% are disappointed by bad content but it doesn’t impact how they feel about a brand and bad content makes another 32% change their opinion about a brand.
• 58% feel “hounded” by ads and content.
• Nearly 20% wish celebrity endorsements would be outlawed!

“Businesses that master the art of producing engaging visual content on YouTube, Instagram and Facebook will reap the highest rewards,” says Minton. “That’s not an easy task and, as this survey reveals, the rules of content marketing are constantly shifting, so having the right content marketer on your team is critical for success.”

Blue Fountain Media has built a strong reputation for creating content based on well-crafted strategies, data and channel expertise. With more marketing content flooding the marketplace than ever before, brands face an uphill battle to get noticed and stay noticed. At the heart of Blue Fountain Media’s services is an agile and strategic team that can employ business data to build, deliver, and amplify engaging brand narratives.

To learn more about Blue Fountain Media’s services and leadership team, please visit: www.bluefountainmedia.com.

To view complete survey results please visit: https://www.bluefountainmedia.com/blog/survey-how-audiences-view-content-marketing

About Blue Fountain Media

Blue Fountain Media A Pactera EDGE Company, is a leading provider of Data-driven, Intelligent, Digital Experiences. Blue Fountain Media works with global enterprises to create high-performing, data-driven websites, and cross-platform integrated marketing campaigns. Blue Fountain Media’s clients include: Element Solutions International, Hillenbrand, CDK Global, Peterbilt Motors, Workfront, Cathay Bank, and more.